Members of Det. 1 of the 314th Troop Carrier Wing received the Presidential Unit Citation for their service during the Vietnam War during an Oct. 9 ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presented them with the high honor, which recognizes extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy. These former special operations airmen flew MC-130E Talons in support of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observations Group from 1966 to 1968 on missions such as transport, air rescue, and leaflet drops over enemy territory. Although the MACVSOG and its supporting units received the citation on June 8, 2001, Det. 1 was not included as a supporting unit on the citation, prompting former Capt. Richard Sell of Det. 1 to wage a six-year campaign for the unit’s recognition, which finally came this past July. (Hurlburt report by A1C Joe McFadden)(General Order 25 plus Det. 1 amendment)
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.